Vending machine



c. E. PARK ER VENDING MACHINE Mmh 15, 1927. 1,620,914

Filed April 16, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 amen 6oz 7 (4400: Z: PAR/raw Gum y March 15,1927. 1,620,914

C. E. PARKER VENDING MACHINE Filed April 1925 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Qwwmioc (waif/ 45x59 attozweqa- Patented Mar. 15, 1927.

CLAUDE E. PARK R, or MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, ASSIQNQ'R'TQ PABKEREPEN OIL COMPANY, INC, OF LOS FORNIA.

ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A (romeouA rioiv- .or CALI! VENDING MACHINE.

A aeaaa'fim April '16, 1925. Serial No. 23,621.

The present invention relates tovimprovements in check controlled'apparatus of the article delivery type, and has particular reference to a machine adapted for delivering a lead pencil upon the depositing of a coin within the machine.

The'general object ofthe invention is to provide for maintaining a stack of lead pencils or like objects within a compartment or magazine of a vendingmaohine so that the components of the'stack will move automatically and successively, one at a time, to the delivery apparatus without liability of derangement or jamming which would render the machine inoperative.

-The above and other objects are accomplished by instrumentalities pointed out in the following specification.

The invention is clearly defined in the claims.

' A satisfactory embodiment of the invention' is illustrated in the accompanying.

drawings formingpart 'of the specification and in which-- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the complete machine, a part of the front wall being broken away to disclose the construction and relation of other parts.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line 2-2, of Figure 1. r

Figure 3 is averticalcross-section on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail side elevation of the check. controlled 1 apparatus in locked position, and I Figure 5 is a view of the parts shown in F igure 4 and looking at right angles thereto.

The cabinet at of this machine is herein shown as formed of metal and when in use may be arranged upright upon a counter or'other support or, if desired, the machinelnay be suspended from a vertical support. The bottom or base plate 5 of the machine is flat and secured to the lower end portions the upturned end portion .12 of thetbase plate 5. A suitable key operated lock-12 is providedfor locking the back in the-positron shown in Figure 3, a bolt 13 of the lock engaging behind a 'lug '14; depending from i i the top 8. At suitable spaced inte'rvalsthe opposite side portions of the front wall 7 are provided with perforated lugs 15 through which screws 16 extend, the screws 1 being screwed into the side plates 6 6 thereby operating to connect the side and front walls together; the baseplate- 5 -being also secured to the side walls by the screws I 17. A transverse article delivery opening 18 7 is provided in the lower portion of the front wall 7 and-extending upwardly and in';-'

wardly from the opening 18 is a slide 19, the lower outerend'of which is disposedbe-' low the upper side of a'recess on the lower side of opening 18 so that the projecting portion 2O of the lower side of the opening operates as a stop that prevents an object moving downthe slide from falling out-Q wardly through the opening 18. In Figure 1 a recess 21 is formed through the-upstanding'portion 2O andafi'ords access with-the fingersto an object held by the stop so that the object may be readily lifted through the delivery opening 18. The upper end of the slide 19 supports an inclined tray 22" which extends transversely of, the interior of the cabinet and operates to divide the interior into an uppercompartment or magazine 28 and into a lower or delivery compartment 24. The compartments 2-3 andl'2et are in communication through a space 25 which-results from the front lateral edge of the tray terminating in spaced relation to the front wall 7. The front wall 7 iscurved inwardly y, at the portion thereof opposite the outer edge ofthe tray so as to reduce the side of the passage 25 to approximatethe diameter of an ordinary lead pencil or other like object to be vended in connection with this machine. 7 t

It will be noted by'reference to Figure 3 that the space 25 is less than the combined passing of a pencil through the passage: A

carrier comprising a pair of arms 26 is dis.

posed below the passage 25; and the arms have'detents, one of which is shown at 27 in Figure 3. These detents are adapted to receive a single lead pencil and support the same horizontally as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The carrier is turnable and the arms thereof are secured to a rock shaft 28 which is journaled in the end walls 6-6 and extended at one end beyond one of the end walls at which portion it is provided with an operating handle 29. The arms 26 are so proportioned that the detents thereof form continuations of the passage 25 and lateral curved extensions 30 of the arms are so proportioned and disposed as to form closures for the passage 25 by extending from across when the shaft 28 is turned and the detents moved away from the passage 25. A vertical partition 31 disposed within the cabinet at cooperates with the end wall on the left of Figure 1 to reduce the transverse length of the magazine 23 and compartment 2st to conform approximately to the length of anew lead pencil. This partition 31 has an opening for the reception of shaft 28 and is secured by fastening devices passing through lugs. 32 to the front wall of the cabinet. A flange 33 extends laterally from the rear edge portion of the partition 31 and functions as a keeper to prevent outward displacement of the lead pencils when the back or panel 10 is removed. In this connection a vertical rod 34 arranged in spaced relation to the flange 33and con nected to the tray 19 by bearing on another portion of the lead pencils within the'magav zine cooperates with the flange to prevent displacement of the pencils when the back 10 is removed. As shown in Figures. 1 and 3, the magazine is adapted for containing a stack of lead pencils35v which are insertable into the magazine by directing their respective ends between the flange 33 and vertical rod 34. Itwill be noted that the capacity of the magazine is such that a considerable number of pencils may be arranged therein and in practise a sufficient number of pencils to fill the magazine are usually arranged therein when the machine is placed in use.

Obviously the pressure from the pencils of the stack upon those pencils adjacent to the passage 25 is relatively great and, while the length of the magazine is such that endwise movement, which would result in skewing, is avoided as near as possible, nevertheless .the pressure of the entire stack might, under certain conditions, such as irregularity in the dimensions of some of the lead pencils, cause the same to bind in the passage 25. In order to overcome such liability, the arms 26 are provided with outwardly extending fingers 36 which are movable into and out of slots in the tray 22 when the shaft and arms .are turned.

Referring to Figure 3, it will be noted that the upper end portion of the finger 36 extends for an appreciable distance into the magazine and into the path of movement of the lower tier of pencils 35 which tier it intercepts and by so doing removes the lateral pressure transmitted to this tier of pencils upon the pencil disposed immediately above the passage 25. In addition when the finger 36 is moved out of the recess in the tray 22, a space is left into which the lowermost pencils of the stack may move. This may result in a movement of all the pencils of the stack and is the equivalent of agitating the pencils in order to prevent their binding one upon the other. Upon return. movement of the fingers into the magazine, the stack is again agitated. Thus adequate means are provided in each operation of the machine to prevent binding of the contents thereof.

' Referring now to Figures 1 and 3, a substantially U-shaped stay 37, herein shown as formed of a single length of wire, is secured to the front wall 7 by screws 38 extending through eyes 39 in the terminals of the sides of the stay and screwed into bosses, one of zine 23 and through which the contents of the magazine is displayed. The intermediate portion of the sides of the stay are directed outwardly, as indicated at 43, so as to bear on the plate 42. Inthis manner that portion of the stay downwardly and beyond the portion 43 is rendered resilient. The spacing between the horizontalportion 21 of the stay and the plate 42 conforms substantially to the width of the'passagc 35 and the horizontal portion 41 is disposed somewhat above the said passage. In this position the lateral and to a great extent the vertical pressures exerted by the upper portion of the stack when the magazine is filled with pencils is directed upon the stay 37 and enables this element to cooperate with the finger 36 in relieving the several pencils disposed in vertical alinement with the parsage 35 of the relatively great pressure of the stack. This construction, moreover, adds to the attractiveness of the machine as a whole in that, when viewed from the front through the panel 42, those of the pencils which are visible appear in an outwardly inclined row superimposed upon a vertical row.

The machine of this invention is designed to operate-upon the depositing of a coin therein and for this purpose is provided with a coin slot 44% in one of the upper corners of the front wall 7, which slot communicates tion of the chute.

the cabinet a and extends downwardly and transversely of the chute and terminates in a lateral extension 49 which'forms a closure for the rear open side of the lower end por- A retractile spring 50 connected at one end to the extension 49 and at its opposite end to a lug 51 carried by the adjacent side wall, operates to yieldingly hold the extension 49 of the tumbler 47 over 3 the open side ofthe recess of the chute 45.

A collar 52 secured to shaft 28 is provided with a segmental lug 53, which normally extends vertically upward as shown in Figure 2. The movement of shaft 28 in aclockwise direction with respect to Figure 2, is limited by a lug 5A forming part of another extension 55 of the collar 52 which lug 55 abuts the lug 51. A retractile spring 56 se-.

cured at one end by a screw 57 to the side of the chute 45 extends downwardly and is connected to a radially extending pin 58 carried by shaft 28. A forwardly projecting finger 59 and tumbler 47 extend into the path of movement of the segmental lugj53 when shaft 28 is turned by the handle 29 .so that when the lug 53 abuts finger 59,

the'pressure exerted by the lug isvertically downward so that the tumbler &7 will not move. This action will take place whenever the handle is turned and when the presence of a coin of required size is not present in i the lower end of the chute.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 4, the extension 55 is provided with a segmental portion 60 projecting beyond the face of the extension or lug 53. This extension 60 is in alinement with the inner open side of the chute so that when a coin moves to the lower end of that member, the turning of shaft 28 will move extension 60 into contact with the coin and continued movement of the shaft will operate to move the tumbler through the coin and lift finger 59 out of the path of movement of the extension 53. The tumblerd7 will move, under the action of the coin, until suiiicient clearance exists between the chute and the extension 49 to permit the coin to drop from engagement between the extension 60 and the extension to. During this turning movement of the shaft, the arms 30 are turned to the left Figure 3, and the lowermost pencil is con veyed through an arc of .more' than 90 whereupon the pencil fallsupon the slide 19 and is delivered to the opening 18. U on releasing the handle, the springs 50 and 5G operate to restore the parts to their normal positions as shown in Figure 2.

Although I have shown and lescribed one embodiment of my invention, it isto be understood that'the same is susceptible of various changes; and' I reserve the right to employ such as may come within the scope of the appended claims;

Iclaim: 1. A pencil vending machine having a magazine formed with an inclined bottom having an outlet, a delivery mechanism reg-s ulating the outlet and means for continuously grouping a series of pencils in vertical alinement with the delivery-mechanism and for holding the other pencils with respect thereto so as to provide a relatively constant uninterrupted source of supply for which pencils will be fed automatically into the dedelivery mechanism, said grouping means comprising a substantially U-shaped stayv formed of a single length of wire securedto thefront wall of the magazine and includ-' ing, a body portion directed downwardly and inwardlyfso that the lower horizontal portion of the stay is disposed in spaced relation to said front wall and at a point above and in spaced relation to the" intake end of the delivery mechanism, so that a part of the merchandise isat one'side of the stay and a part at the other side thereof.

2. A pencil vending machine having a magazine formedwith an inclined bottom having an outlet, a delivery mechanism reg- 'ulating the outlet and means for continuously grouping a series of pencils'in vertical alinement, with the delivery mechanism and for holding the other pencils with respect thereto so as to provide a relatively constant uninterrupted source of supply for which pencils will be fed automatically into the delivery mechanism, said grouping means comprising a substantially Uj-shaped resilient stay formed of a-single length of wire se- 110 cured to the front wall of the magazine and including a body portion directed downwardly and inwardly so that the lower horizontal portion of the stay isdispo'sed in spaced relation to said front wall and at-a point above and in spaced relation to the intake end of the delivery mechanism, so that a part of the merchandise is at oneside of the stay and a part atthe other side thereof.

. e CLAUDE E. PARKER. 

